OUTWITTING CRAFTY CROWS
Crows are a serious problem for anyone trying to make a living in the farming industry; these scavenging birds are notorious for pecking the eyes from newborn lambs and also cause major damage to crops. This outing follows a call from a disgruntled farmer friend who had crows wreaking havoc around his farm. Large flocks of the birds descended around lambing time, which is never good news, and they also turned their attention to the cattle feed. Before long, areas around silage clamps, feed rows and water troughs were caked with crows’ droppings, posing a health risk.
The birds were so numerous that I initially targeted them with a shotgun so I could take them on the wing. My outings yielded bags of around 30 birds, but crows learn quickly and the remaining ones now back away after a couple of bangs from the 12-bore. The birds that evaded the shotgun will attract others, so it’s time to adopt a subtle approach to pick off the stragglers.
Silage cutting is underway, and with lots of vehicles whizzing around the yard it’s not safe to shoot in the vicinity of the farm buildings, but that shouldn’t be a problem. The crows have
